The Role of the Department of Defense and the Army in the War on Drugs

Abstract

The drug abuse problem in the United States continues to grow at an alarming rate despite the billions of dollars spent on drug interdiction and enforcement efforts. Severely impacting on our national economy, health, social welfare, and security, combating the drug problem has become one of America's principal domestic concerns. Clearly, the efforts of Federal, state and local law enforcement agencies have not been enough to curtail the problem, prompting the President and Congress to direct Department of Defense involvement, concentrating their efforts in stopping the flow of drugs at the source, in transit, and the United States. This paper examines Department of Defense involvement in the 'war on drugs,' the missions assigned to the major commands, and legal impediments to the use of the military in this role. Further, the role of the Army is specifically examined.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 05, 1993
Accession Number
ADA263592

Entities

People

  • Jean F. Burleson

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Army Personnel
  • Detectors
  • Drug Abuse
  • Drug Interdiction
  • Drug Trafficking
  • Military Personnel
  • Military Science
  • Military Training
  • National Security
  • Personnel Management
  • Reconnaissance
  • Surveillance
  • United States
  • United States Pacific Command
  • United States Southern Command
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Fields of Study

  • Political science

Readers

  • Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse Science in Autism Spectrum Disorders.
  • Economics
  • Strategic Security Studies